Ampco-Pittsburgh Corp Family business Co.is broken into two segments Forged & Cast rolls & Liquid processing . Well positioned to ride out the storm and will thrive when next upturn occurs divesting a big chunk of the Co. stock might be a target take over . It has a strong balance sheet and positioncash

A well run business with a solid reputation. I don't expect high growth, but sustainable, predictable increases in sales as demand for steel increases worldwide. Compared to other companies in the steel industry, AP has the advantage of making a niche product - cold-rolled steel - in which they have developed a great reputation. The company is small enough to be agile, but dominant enough to call the shots. I like that combination.

This company makes rollers for steel and aluminum rolling mills. These are huge and huge but precisely machined steel rollers. The two subsidiaries that manufacture rollers, one in the US and one in the UK, have done nothing else for decades. The facilities and expertise to manufacture these rollers creates a wide moat. There are less than half a dozen companies in the world that do this.

The rollers need to be replaced on a regular basis because they are subjected to tremendous heat and mechanical stresses. The condition of the rollers is critical to the quality of steel and aluminum products. As the demand for aluminum and steel picks up, so will demand for these rollers as they need to be replaced more often. In addition, Ampco has 49% of a joint venture in China to produce even larger rollers. That plant is expected to come online in 2010.